Modern sounds from Azerbaijan

Running scared on stage?

Six persons are on stage for the Azerbaijani performance, apart from Ell and Nikki, we could see four backing singers. Running Scared was performed impeccably several times today, and the song sounded good both in the hall as well as on the screens in the press centre.

Staging-wise, not too many things had changed from the first rehearsal of several days ago. However, today, the team decided to reveal what seemed to be their final stage clothes. Nikki is wearing a beautiful white dress while Ell has a modern suit on with roughly the same colour. The four backing singers are in short dresses in white and beige.

The LED-backdrop changed too, from a mainly white-lit one to golden blinking lights on the back part of the stage.

The camera angles looked more precise in the second rehearsal, with both many close shots on Ell/Nikki as well as long shots which showed the gigantic LED-screens from afar.

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What happened backstage with Ell/Nikki?

The delegation got flowers backstage from a secret admirer. They were received by Nikki before rehearsing.



"I'm shocked! I don't know who gave it," she said.



The Azeri team is quite international, with Ukrainians doing PR and Swedes doing backing vocals and choreography and make up. Nikki is herself Azeri, but lives in the United Kingdom. She enjoys the international surroundings.



"It works perfectly, I really enjoy it," she says.



She was astounded the first time she entered the arena. Now, she has got used to it, but she is still seizing the moment.



"I love it, so glad I will see it again now," she says.

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Ell/Nikki and the press

In a press statement today, it was revealed that Ell and Nikki will wear clothes designed by famous Swedish tailor Lars Wallin.

Nikki revealed that she has been living in the UK for 6 years now and she has two daughters.

The duet had prepared another gift to their supporters. At today's press conference, the two singers were thrilled to perform the acoustic version of the song in the contest this year, Running Scared.

They were was supported by their close friend Svyatoslav Starush, the guitarist of this year's Moldovan entry Zdob si Zdub.

The two singers disclosed that they are thrilled that so many people would like the song.

Their favourites in the Eurovision Song Contest during the last ten years was the Israeli song from last year, but there would be so many great songs in former contests.

Another suprise for the present press was that the sympathetic duet performed parts of a traditional Azerbaijani folk song and Ell also performed Je T'aime, originally sung by Lara Fabian.

The plans for the next days would be to rehearse their song, and Nikki is excited to see her daughters in the coming days.

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